1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk player with a disk select function in which one desired disk is drawn out of a magazine accommodating a plurality of disks and placed on a playback unit to play back music or the like.
2. Related Prior Art
The so-called disk changer is known as a recent version of automotive or home audio equipment. The disk changer is arranged such that a plurality of compact disks are stored in a magazine and, after loading the magazine into the changer, the disk or the music number to be played back is instructed or programmed. In the disk changer, a desired disk in the magazine is selected in accordance with the instruction or program inputted, and is clamped in place by a rotation mechanism (turntable) and a clamper, both provided in a playback unit, for playing back the music.
The magazine to be loaded into this type disk changer is required to have a disk storage space capable of accommodating a plurality of disks, and have a function capable of ejecting or pushing out a desired one of the disks accommodated in the space through an opening. In conventional magazines for use with general disk changers, the magazine interior is divided by partition plates to form spaces for accommodating plural disks. Further, an ejector member for ejecting the disk is provided on the rear side of the magazine opposite to the direction of insertion of the disk.
Because the above conventional magazine is provided in its rear portion with the ejector member for pushing out the disk in the magazine, the disk changer is required to have a drive mechanism located behind the magazine in opposite relation to the ejector member thereof. The implementation of the drive mechanism necessitates a drive lever provided to extend from the side of the space, into which the magazine is loaded, to a position rearwardly of the magazine. Thus, the disk changer must have a large space enough to install the drive mechanism therein, which prevents a reduction in size of the disk changer.
In addition, the internal structure of the conventional magazine is complicated because of the partition plates and the ejector members both provided in the magazine. Particularly, the provision of fixed partition plates requires smaller tolerances in design values necessary for control of spacings between the partition plates and hence increases production cost. The ejector member provided in the rear portion of the magazine is restricted in its range of movement from the positional relation relative to the partition member and other components, making it very difficult to push out the disk from the opening through a dimension sufficient for allowing the disk to be drawn out.
Further, when ejecting the disk already accommodated in the conventional magazine for the purpose of replacing the disk with a new one when the magazine is not loaded into the disk changer, the disk is taken out with pushing the corresponding ejector member by a finger or the like. At this time, since the plural ejector members are arranged side by side in close relation, it is very difficult to operate the ejector members individually. Thus, in the conventional magazine the disks cannot be easily taken out from the magazine separately.